In the summer of 1986, just after my sophomore year of high school, I got a job playing in the band for a circus.  Yes, that’s right, a circus.  the circus was performing at the Wild Country Safari in Grand Prairie Texas.  Anyway, it was a small circus with only a few acts.  An 80 year old clown, some dancing poodles, a pretty decent juggling act, some monkeys and of course the star of the show, Killer Willard the boxing kangaroo.  When I met Willard he was a very docile elderly kangaroo who enjoyed making the crowd laugh.  Unfortunately, about half the way through the season Willard died of old age.  Even more unfortunate, the owner of the wildlife park said with no Willard there really was no show and we must do something to keep the show open.  It just so happened that the owner of the wildlife park had a young kangaroo and asked the circus folks if they could train a new kangaroo quickly?   If they could, he would keep the show going and give them the kangaroo for free.  And so, a new Killer Willard was born.

I  had spent the whole first half of the season doing anything I could to get in good with the 17 year old blond ring mistress, including cleaning monkey cages. So, of course, I said yes when I was asked to help train the new Willard.   I was thinking – feed him a little, clean his cage and then hang out for a while.   How hard could it be?

On my first day of training Willard, I showed up all excited and asked where to get the food to feed him.   Instead, I was handed a set of boxing gloves and pointed to the ring.  As they lead me to the ring, I vaguely heard some instructions to keep my hands up and don’t let him grab me.  “If he grabs you,” they said, “he will rare back on his tail and kick you with his powerful hind legs.”  Dazed and confused I stepped into the ring.  Almost as soon as I turned to face Willard, he had grabbed me.  The next thing I know, I am flying across the ring with a terrible pain in my ribs.

After the laughing of those around me subsided and I had come to my senses, I had a broken rib and a bruised ego.  However, Willard did get trained and the show did go on.  I, on the other hand never got to date a ring mistress.

Here is a video I found recently of an interview that was taken shortly after my round with Killer.